Remote control circuit breaker

Abstract

A remotely controllable circuit breaker device for interrupting power in a circuit path between a source and a load includes local and remote monitoring capabilities and a worm-gear mechanism for reliable control of the interruption mechanism. The device includes a first contact and a second contact cooperatively arranged in the circuit path so as to provide current from the source to the load. At least one of the contacts are movable for interrupting the power provided to the load. The worm gear mechanism includes a motor with a rotatable shaft which responds to open and closed control signals generated from a remote location, and a gear, rotatably responsive to the rotatable shaft, for controlling the movable contact so that the circuit path is interrupted and established, respectively. The worm gear mechansim controls the movable contact using a coupling arrangement, which has a first part coupled to the movable contact and a second part coupled to the gear.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A remotely controllable circuit breaker device for interrupting power in a circuit path between a source and a load, comprising: a first contact and a second contact cooperatively arranged in the circuit path, and within a housing, so as to provide current from the source to the load and at least one of the contacts being movable for interrupting the power provided to the load;   gear driving means, responsive to open control and closed control signals generated from a remote location, for moving said at least one movable contact so that the circuit path is interrupted and established, respectively;   a rotatable gear which connects to and responds to said gear driving means, said rotatable gear being mounted to said device on a pivot and being integrally formed with a coupling pin which is coupled to said at least one movable contact so that the circuit path is interrupted in response to said control signal; and   a one-piece coupling arm secured at one end to said at least one movable contact, another end of said coupling arm being integrally formed with a lost motion cam, said cam having an elongated slot formed therein to engage said coupling pin and provide a gap between said coupling pin and the coupling arm when the contacts are closed, whereby the contacts are not prevented from closing even when the contacts are worn.   
     
     
       2. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gear driving means includes a motor having a rotatable shaft secured to a spring having windings, the rotatable gear being positioned between the windings of the spring as the shaft rotates. 
     
     
       3. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the motor operates in a first direction, in response to a first signal, to move the movable contact to an open position, and operates in a second direction, in response to a second signal, to move the movable contact to a closed position. 
     
     
       4. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gear driving means includes a worm-gear mechanism. 
     
     
       5. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the worm-gear mechanism includes a motor which is electrically connected to a printed circuit board, said printed circuit board having means for providing current flow in a unilateral direction and reversibly controlling the power provided to the motor and wherein the printed circuit board is electrically connected to receive the open control and closed control signals through a plug-in control socket. 
     
     
       6. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 1 further including a trip mechanism for moving the movable contact to an open position in response to the presence of an overload condition, ad wherein the trip mechanism operates independently of the motor. 
     
     
       7. A remotely controllable circuit breaker device for interrupting power in a circuit path between a source and a load, comprising: a housing;   a first contact and a second contact cooperatively arranged in the circuit path, and within the housing, so as to provide current from the source to the load and at least one of the contacts being secured to a contact carrier which is moved to interrupt the power provided to the load;   movement means, responsive to open and close control signals generated from a remote location, for moving the contact carrier so that the circuit path is interrupted and established, respectively;   window means for indicating the contact status of the circuit breaker device within the housing; and   a one-piece, integrally formed coupling member having three ends, responsive to said movement means, the first end thereof being secured to the contact carrier, the second end thereof being integrally formed with a lost motion cam, the cam having an elongated slot formed therein to engage said movement means and provide a gap between the coupling member and the movement means when the contacts are closed, and the third end thereof being visible by an observer via the window means;   wherein, in response to the open and close control signals, the third end of the coupling member indicates, via the window means, whether the circuit path is interrupted or established, respectively.   
     
     
       8. A remotely and locally controllable and monitorable circuit breaker device for interrupting power in a circuit path between a source and a load, comprising: a housing having window means for indicating the contact status of the circuit breaker device;   a first contact and a second contact cooperatively arranged in the circuit path, and within said housing, so as to provide current from the source to the load and at least one of the contacts being secured to a contact carrier which is moved to interrupt the power provided to the load;   movement means, responsive to open and close control signals generated from a remote location, for moving the contact carrier so that the circuit path is interrupted and established, respectively;   sensing means, coupled to the load, for determining when the circuit path is interrupted and when it is established and having an output port that is line-isolated from the source, for monitoring the load to determine whether or not power to the load has been interrupted, said sensing means having an output port through which a status signal is sent to a remote location to indicate whether or not power to the load has been interrupted; and   a one-piece, integrally formed coupling member having three ends, responsive to said movement means, the first end thereof being secured to the contact carrier, the second end thereof being integrally formed with a lost motion cam, the cam having an elongated slot formed therein to engage said movement means and provide a gap between the coupling member and the movement means when the contacts are closed, and the third end thereof being visible by an observer via the window means;   wherein, in response to the open and close control signals, the third end of the coupling member, via the window means, and the sensing means, via the output port, simultaneously indicate whether or not the circuit path is interrupted.   
     
     
       9. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sensing means includes an opto-isolator. 
     
     
       10. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sensing means is mounted on a printed circuit board which is located within the circuit breaker housing. 
     
     
       11. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sensing means includes an opto-isolator mounted on a printed circuit board which is located within the circuit breaker housing, and wherein the opto-isolator is electrically connected to the load to determine whether power to the load has been interrupted. 
     
     
       12. A circuit breaker comprising: a first contact;   a movable contact being movable between at least an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the movable contact is spaced away from the first contact, and in the closed position the movable contact is in contact with the first contact;   gear control means for moving the movable contact between the open position and the closed position;   a gear, comprising a plurality of teeth, which rotates about a pivot point in response to the gear control means, said gear having a coupling pin mounted thereon;   a one-piece coupling arm secured at one end to said movable contact, another end of said coupling arm being integrally formed with a lost motion cam, said cam having an elongated slot formed therein to engage said coupling pin and provide a gap between said coupling arm and said coupling pin when the contacts are closed, whereby the contacts are not prevented from closing even when the contacts are worn;   an overdrive element including a torsional spring, positioned beneath said gear, to bias the gear so that control of the plurality of teeth is maintained by the gear control means when the gear is fully rotated by the gear control means.   
     
     
       13. A circuit breaker device comprising: a first contact;   a movable contact being movable by a first spring between at least an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the movable contact is spaced from the first contact, and in the closed position the movable contact is in contact with the first contact;   a motor having a shaft operating in a first direction in response to a first signal from a remote location; p1 a second spring, which is mounted on the shaft, the second spring having windings rotatable under control of the motor;   a gear comprising a plurality of teeth which are positioned between the windings of the spring as it rotates;   an operating rod coupled between said gear and the movable contact for moving the movable contact to one of the closed and open positions in response to the motor; and   an overdrive element including a third spring, positioned beneath said gear, to bias the gear so that control of the plurality of teeth is maintained by the second spring when the gear is fully rotated in a counterclockwise rotation.   
     
     
       14. A circuit breaker device, according to claim 13, wherein the first spring biases the gear so that control of the plurality of teeth is maintained by the second spring when the gear is fully rotated in a clockwise rotation. 
     
     
       15. A remotely controllable circuit breaker device for interrupting power in a circuit path between a source and a load, comprising: a housing;   a first contact and a second contact cooperatively arranged in the circuit path within said housing so as to provide current from the source to the load and at least one of the contacts being movable for interrupting the power provided to the load;   a motor having a rotatable shaft which responds to open and closed control signals generated from a remote location;   gear driving means, rotatably responsive to the rotatable shaft, for removing said at least one movable contact so that the circuit path is interrupted and established, respectively;   a rotatable gear which connects to and responds to said gear driving means, said rotatable gear being mounted to a slide mechanism on a pivot and being integrally formed with a coupling pin;   a one-piece coupling arm secured at one end to said at least one movable contact, another end of said coupling arm being integrally formed with a lost motion cam, said cam having an elongated slot formed therein to engage said coupling pin and provide a gap between said coupling arm and said coupling pin when the contacts are closed, whereby the contacts are not prevented from closing even when the contacts are worn; and   a manually operated disengaging member, one end of said member having an angled edge which extends through said housing to abut said slide mechanism preventing movement of the slide mechanism, said member having an indentation forming a shoulder which frictional engages a corresponding shoulder in the housing to hold the member in an abutting predetermined position with said slide mechanism, said member being released from this position by laterally moving the shoulders apart, whereby the angled edge moves from the abutting position and no longer holds the slide mechanism and, consequently, said rotatable gear and coupling pin in a fixed position which allows said slide mechanism rather than said at least one movable contact to move in response to the rotatable shaft and renders the coupling arm non-responsive to the gear driving means.   
     
     
       16. A circuit breaker device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the manually operated disengaging member is spring activated.